Redistricting panel keeps rural Greene County in Wasson's district

Earlier maps had moved rural areas of the county into Mike Parsons' district

Feb. 23, 2012

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Once a tentative agreement is reached on a map, commissioners must file a draft with the Secretary of State’s Office. State residents then have 15 days to comment on the map. After the comment period ends, the commissioners then meet another time to give their final approval. The commission must approve a map within six months of first being appointed, or by the end of July. Commission members are barred from running for office for four years after a final map is approved. That prohibition does not apply if the commissioners are not able to reach an agreement, however. --Complied by News-Leader Reporter Josh Nelson

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JEFFERSON CITY — Greene County will be keeping the same representation in the Missouri Senate if a current redistricting proposal is approved.

Members of a citizens’ redistricting commission spent Wednesday crafting a new map for the 34 state Senate seats after two previous sets of districts were tossed by the Missouri Supreme Court.

The maps previously had rural Greene County’s Senate representation fluctuating between Republicans Jay Wasson of Nixa and Mike Parsons of Bolivar. Wasson current represents that area.

A compromise reached by the five Democrats and five Republicans on the commission would have Wasson’s new district consist of primarily just Greene and Christian counties.

“That’s not in dispute anymore,” said Commission Chairman Doug Harpool, a former state representative from Springfield.

Commissioners still had disagreements over several other areas of the state.

Harpool did not specify which districts were creating the friction.

In written testimony, nearly a dozen public officials from Christian and Greene counties argued that Wasson should continue to represent the area because of the shared historic and economic ties between the counties.

“For decades, the counties of Greene and Christian have worked together to grow the Springfield metropolitan area as a unified community,” Greene County Presiding Commissioner Jim Viebrock said in a letter. “We have worked well together and shared many common ideas and goals.”

Similar letters were submitted by representatives from Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College, Christian County Commission and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, among several others.

A six-member panel of appellate court judges drafted two maps that added portions of Greene County to the district of Parson. The commission also added Dallas County to the area Wasson represented.

The maps were tossed in January after Supreme Court justices found that the appellate commission violated constitutional guidelines for drawing new Senate districts.

The appellate judges were brought in after a similar citizens commission failed to reach an agreement on a new map. Harpool was also chairman of that panel.

The second citizens’ commission is hurrying to approve a new map to clear up any uncertainty before candidates start filing for office.

This was the fifth meeting the commission has held since Saturday.

That included three hearings held around the state.

The filing period begins Feb. 28, but lawmakers are also trying to quickly pass a bill delaying that date until late March. The Senate passed the measure last week and could hit the House floor today.

Any map has to get seven affirmative votes to pass.

Once a proposal receives that initial approval, it must go out for a 15-day public comment period before it is finalized.

Harpool and other commissioners believe they’ll reach a consensus soon.